


Blast From The Past

by DodgerBear



Category: God’s Own Country
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-26
Updated: 2019-05-26
Packaged: 2020-03-19 21:56:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18979114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DodgerBear/pseuds/DodgerBear
Summary: A figure from Gheorghe’s past pops up and stirs up some mixed emotions.





	Blast From The Past

**Author's Note:**

> This started out as a Johnny being jealous story to follow up from Stranger Danger but changed into something else completely along the way. Hey ho!
> 
> Enjoy! And let me know what you think!! 😊🧡

 

 

 

 

 

Gheorghe and Johnny were similar people in lots of ways. They certainly had their differences, but the things they had in common were what had cemented their relationship in the year they’d been a couple. One of the things they shared an opinion about was social media. Neither had much time for it. They definitely didn’t spend hours glued to a mobile device like most men their age and they most certainly did not use it to keep up with the Kardashians. Living in the middle of nowhere with no cell tower within functioning distance helped them out with that. But when they ventured into the village or nearby towns they caught up on the things they’d missed that mattered to them. For Johnny, it was going on Instagram to make sure Robyn was still alive, since they rarely saw each other these days, or to go on Facebook and check out local farming events. Gheorghe used it to catch up with and interact with his family back home in Romania. He didn’t have a large family but it was certainly easier to post photos and messages in one place than to fire them off to individuals. 

It was only about three months ago that Johnny and Gheorghe began to follow each other on the various platforms they were signed up to. Neither saw the need at first and it was only when they were out in town and waiting for Deirdre to finish her shopping that they filled in their time by searching for each other. Only a couple of weeks ago they were in a similar situation and so Johnny cheekily sent a request to Gheorghe on Facebook. Gheorghe had chuckled and clicked to accept. Now there it was, on the front page of each of their basic and meagre profiles. Seen as many as confirmation of a true 21st century romance, Gheorghe smiled when he saw the writing on his page. 

_**In a relationship with John Saxby**_. 

Yes it was childish. Yes it meant absolutely fuck all in the grand scheme of things. But by God it made his whole body tingle to see it in writing, and knowing it was visible on Johnny’s page too, for the whole world to see. Well, not the _whole_ world. They did have quite robust privacy settings and a negligible number of followers. But everyone in their world could see that things were more than just casual now. 

 

Gheorghe sat in the sunshine and waited for Johnny to finish off in the post office. He scrolled idly through his Facebook feed and found a photo he’d uploaded last week of him and Johnny smiling at the camera. He’d taken it when they were just watching tv after Deirdre and Martin had gone to bed. The lighting was bad but they looked happy. The photo had 12 likes and some sweet comments from his friends back home. One of them caught his eye and made his stomach swoop unexpectedly. 

“Look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Johnny’s voice cut into his erratic thoughts. 

Gheorghe looked up at his boyfriend who was squinting in the sunshine with a small smile on his handsome face. 

“It is a...how do you say...blast from the past?” 

Johnny nodded. “Aye.”

“Someone from home. I have not heard from them in a while.”

“Need a bit longer to reply to your messages? I can go and pick up me Dad’s stuff...”

Gheorghe smiled and shook his head, rising to his feet and placing his phone back in his jeans pocket. “It is okay. Nothing I need to say right now.”

 

Gheorghe lay in bed with Johnny, resting his head on his boyfriend’s chest and almost purring when long fingers scratched through his mop of curls. 

“The message I got today...” 

“Hmm? The blast from the past?”

“Yes. It was someone I have not seen for some years.” Gheorghe spoke quietly and Johnny knew where it was going before Gheorghe even finished his sentence. 

“An ex?” He murmured, his fingers pausing in Gheorghe’s hair. 

“Yes.” Gheorghe confirmed. “I was not expecting to hear from him again.”

“Oh? Wanna talk about it?” Johnny offered, his body tensing under Gheorghe’s weight. 

“I would not know what to say. Alex was my first boyfriend. My only real boyfriend. Before you, I mean.” Gheorghe replied sullenly. 

Johnny began to stroke Gheorghe’s hair once again. “What did the message say? If you don’t mind me askin like.”

Gheorghe tilted his head back and smiled up at Johnny. “Of course I do not mind.”

Johnny smiled back and pressed a kiss to Gheorghe’s forehead. 

“He only said I look happy and living in England suits me.”

Johnny exhaled the breath he was holding. “That’s nice.”

“Yes. I suppose so.”

Johnny pulled Gheorghe’s hair back gently so his face lifted and smiled down at him. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“Me too.”

 

It wasn’t until about a month later, as the hot summer days began to cool as autumn approached, that Gheorghe heard from Alex again. This time it was a bolt from the blue when the lads were on a rare night out in Bradford, tentatively acting like a real couple having a drink together away from the prying eyes of the villagers who stared at them like they were trying to work out what lengths Gheorghe would go to for a permanent visa. Gheorghe glanced around the bar and smiled when he saw nobody was paying any attention to them. It was a relief to know his immigration status and sexual orientation meant nothing in this place. Johnny was relaxed beside him as they chatted and sipped their beers, holding hands that rested in Gheorghe’s lap. His phone lit up on the table and he picked it up curiously. 

“A message from Alex.” He told Johnny immediately and frowned at the handset. 

Johnny tensed slightly but released Gheorghe’s hand so he could use his phone. A quick glance over told Johnny the message was in Romanian and he had no hope of translating it. 

“He is coming to England in September. He would like to visit me when he is here.” Gheorghe said simply, his voice devoid of emotion. 

Johnny set his hand on Gheorghe’s thigh and squeezed. “What are you thinking?”

Gheorghe looked over at Johnny and shrugged. “I don’t know. It feels childish and rude to say no. But then I do not know what is the point of meeting. It is all water under a bridge now.”

Johnny smiled at his boyfriend’s slight mistranslation of the expression and took his hand gently. “How did things end? Were it bad?”

Gheorghe huffed out a sigh. “In a way. His sister and mine were best friends. That’s how we met when we were still in school. I did not see him again until I was 19 and we got together. Only nobody could know about us. He made us keep it a secret. Even after three years and when we lived in our own place...his family still thought we were friends and housemates. Then one day my sister got angry on my behalf when his sister suggested perhaps I should move out so Alex could focus on finding a girlfriend. Carmen went crazy and told her exactly why that would not happen. Alex was furious. We fought about it and eventually I told him I was not sorry our secret was discovered. I left him that night and I have not seen him since.”

Johnny took a deep breath and pulled Gheorghe closer so he was pressed along the side of his body. He couldn’t imagine why anyone in the world could be so stupid to treat this man badly. Why anyone would let him go when they had him. He’d almost done it himself. In his mulish and pathetic attempts to prove to himself that Gheorghe hadn’t changed him from the self-sufficient husk of a man he’d become, he’d almost ruined the best thing that ever happened to him. The very thought of doing something so stupid again made Johnny tremble with a fear that he would never overcome. 

“What a fucking idiot.” Johnny finally exhaled and Gheorghe started to chuckle. Johnny grinned at him and lifted his hand, placing it tenderly on the back of Gheorghe’s head. “I mean...I should thank him really. For letting you go so one day you could be mine like. But what a fuckin idiot.”

Gheorghe giggled into his hand and his eyes danced with a happiness he could easily become overwhelmed by. He loved this gangly blond man with slightly too big ears and a crooked smile more than he’d ever loved anyone he wasn’t related to. And even then more than some of those too. 

“John...I do not say it enough...but I am so happy I get to spend my life here with you. You make every situation better for me. You make me laugh.” Gheorghe murmured softly and Johnny blushed, still not able to take a compliment very well at all. 

“Yeah well...same for me like. You’re me best mate and me boyfriend. That makes me bloody lucky eh?” 

Gheorghe impulsively pecked a kiss to the top of Johnny’s head. “I love you.”

“Go on...tell him to come. Let him see just how happy you are. Call it closure or whatever.” Johnny urged, knowing Gheorghe had a tendency to dwell on things until he met them head on. 

“You think so?” Gheorghe sighed. 

“Aye. It’s like...I dunno...slaying your dragon innit...”

Gheorghe chuckled again. “Okay. I will tell him to come. You will have to help me with the hotels in the area so I can tell him where to stay.”

“He can stay wi’us on the farm...”

Gheorghe looked aghast and shook his head firmly. “Absolutely not. That is our home. I do not want him in our space. And Martin would not like a stranger there. He needs his privacy and his dignity.”

Johnny accepted the truth in his words and even felt a little ashamed that he hadn’t even considered his father’s needs when he was boldly inviting Alex along for what would inevitably turn out to be a pissing contest. 

“Aye. You’re right.”

“Thank you.” Gheorghe murmured and leaned into Johnny’s touch. “For being helpful and mature with this.”

Johnny smirked and shrugged one shoulder. “What’ve I got to worry about eh? Not like you can do better than me.” He joked but Gheorghe fixed him with a firm gaze. 

“No. I cannot.”

“Come on, drink up. Let’s try that new bar down road. We can drink some poofy cocktails an’ have a dance.” Johnny drained his pint glass and smiled at his boyfriend. 

Gheorghe didn’t think he could love anyone more than he did right now. 

 

Neither man had bargained for Deirdre’s traditional Yorkshire values to play a part in things when they told her of Alex’s visit in three weeks time. 

“He’s got t’stay here. He’s comin t’visit you, he’s your guest, lad.” She gasped in outrage that Gheorghe was not following the etiquette rules. 

“But there is no need. He is visiting for two days. That is too long for Martin to have his routine disrupted.” Gheorghe argued. 

Deirdre narrowed her eyes. “I’ll see to Martin.”

Johnny smirked when the full force of Deirdre’s will hit Gheorghe. 

“Okay.” Gheorghe conceded. “I will go to the town tomorrow and let him know.”

 

As the days ticked down to Alex’s visit to the farm it was easy for Gheorghe to see Johnny get a little apprehensive. He understood this completely. Not only was he meeting Gheorghe’s ex-boyfriend, he was also putting his home and his family on display. It was very daunting for anyone but Gheorghe particularly felt it for his usually reserved and stoic boyfriend. Gheorghe noticed Johnny had uploaded lots more photos of the pair to Facebook and Instagram than he normally would as he tried to somehow stake a claim. He also sensed it in the way Johnny’s affectionate side would come out more and more. When they were alone Johnny was a different person entirely. He loved to touch Gheorghe in any way he could. Even something as boring as watching the news was still a time Johnny would curl up to his man for a cuddle. If Deirdre and Martin were around he was a little more in control of himself but he still discreetly held Gheorghe’s hand or leaned on him. The idea of Alex being in this sacred space and watching their behaviour made Gheorghe feel very uneasy and he knew Johnny must be feeling it a million times worse. On Sunday, the night before Alex was due to arrive, the whole family had gathered in the living room to watch The Durrells and Johnny’s affectionate side was not to be quelled by his father and grandmother sitting nearby. He pressed his long body into Gheorghe’s and nuzzled into his throat. Gheorghe smiled down at him and wrapped his arms around his boyfriend. Johnny fought tooth and nail to keep his emotions in check on a daily basis but today he needed to let it out. He was used to dealing with anger, fear and frustration. This tingling apprehension was something he had no experience controlling. 

“You are okay?” Gheorghe murmured. 

Johnny smiled shyly. “Nervous.”

“Of Alex?”

“Aye. Him being here.”

Gheorghe smiled back. “I understand. But I will make sure it is all fine.”

“I know.”

“Now shush and let me watch this. You know I look forward to this show.” Gheorghe smirked and Johnny teasingly nibbled on his stubbly jaw. 

“Only cuz you fancy Larry.” He remarked. 

Gheorghe lowered his head to whisper in Johnny’s ear. “I only fancy him because he looks so much like you.”

Deirdre cut short their flirting with a scoff and a withering glare. “You’ve got a perfectly good bedroom if you wanna be messing around. I’m tryin to watch the telly.”

Gheorghe pulled back and grinned at Johnny. 

“She fancies Spiro.” Johnny mouthed silently and nodded to his Nan. 

Gheorghe bit his lip to stop the burst of laughter that was bubbling inside him. 

 

Deirdre meticulously cleaned and decluttered the house before Alex arrived, making up a sofa bed for him in the living room. It was cosy, Gheorghe said, but Johnny knew that was another word for cramped. 

“If he is any kind of guest he will be gracious and content.” Gheorghe told John when they were driving to the station to pick up Alex. 

“Aye. Hope so.” Johnny muttered. 

“Pull over.” Gheorghe stated gently but firmly. 

“What? Where? What’s up?”

“Just pull over. Now. Here.” Gheorghe pointed to a lay-by ahead of them. 

Johnny pulled in and killed the engine. When he turned to look at Gheorghe he was suddenly engulfed in a face full of his beautiful man. Gheorghe kissed him deeply and thoroughly until Johnny was concerned he would spring an ill-timed erection. Gheorghe released him and smiled at Johnny’s dazed expression. 

“Before he arrives...I needed to kiss you like that. In private. I love you very much John.”

Johnny touched his tingling lips. “Love you too.”

 

Johnny had seen photos of Alex on social media but none of them really prepared him for the absolute hunk of a man that was waiting for them at the station. He was taller than Johnny, which probably put him at about 6’3 or 6’4, and he was broad and muscular to go with it. His shiny dark hair, olive skin and chiselled jawline wouldn’t be out of place in one of those magazines that he was forced to read when he waited for his Nan in the hairdressers. In short, he was everything Johnny was not. 

Johnny stood off to the side while the two men greeted each other with smiles and rapid fire Romanian before hugging tightly. When they moved apart Gheorghe turned to Johnny and drew him closer. 

“John, this is Alex.” He introduced softly. “Alex, my boyfriend John.”

Johnny remembered his manners and extended his hand. “Good to meet you Alex.”

The newcomer shook it firmly. “It is very nice to meet you John. Thank you for allowing me to stay in your home.”

Johnny ducked his head. “No problem. Let me get your bag.”

Alex and Gheorghe followed behind him as they walked to the jeep. Johnny drove while Alex took the passenger seat and Gheorghe got in the back seat. They made tentative conversation; how was the journey from London, how nice the weather was for the time of year and all that superficial stuff that seems so awkward when you’re in the situation. 

“Your English is very good.” Johnny complimented Alex. 

“Thank you. I learned when I was very young. Do you speak much Romanian?” Alex replied. 

Johnny’s face warmed. “Not a lot, I’m afraid. Some stuff I’ve picked up along t’way. Mostly swear words when he’s dropped summat.”

Alex chuckled darkly. “Yes. He’s always been very clumsy. I’m sure you’ll pick up the language eventually.”

Johnny tried not to feel like that was a dig but his natural disposition to take offence was just under the surface. 

“You are learning very quickly.” Gheorghe chipped in from the back seat. 

Johnny met his eyes in the rear view mirror and smiled. “Had a good teacher.”

Alex started to speak to Gheorghe is rapid Romanian and after a few moments Gheorghe stopped him. 

“We should speak in English. It is not polite to speak so John cannot understand.”

“It’s okay. Romanian is your first language.” Johnny told him gently. 

“No. We speak English.” Gheorghe was firm. 

Alex sighed heavily. “Yes. English is fine.”

 

Deirdre spotted trouble a mile off when Alex arrived at the house. He was polite in his words but his critical eye when he took in his surroundings did not go unnoticed. She hoped he would hold his tongue long enough to not upset Gheorghe. 

“What’ve you got planned for your trip?” She asked conversationally over the dinner of steak and potatoes she’d prepared for them. They very rarely had steak, a luxury they could live without most weeks, so Johnny’s heart swelled at the effort his Nan was making with their guest. 

“Just to catch up with Gheorghe. It has been so long I imagine we have lots to talk about.” Alex replied with a smile across the table to Gheorghe. 

“Yes. John and I will take you out into the town tomorrow.”

“That will be nice.” Alex nodded. 

The conversation flowed fairly easily but as Gheorghe finished eating he noticed Alex had left most of his steak. 

“You are vegetarian now?” He teased. 

Alex laughed and shook his head. “No. The meat is just a little tough.”

Gheorghe narrowed his eyes and memories of his high maintenance boyfriend of the past came flooding back. “The meat is delicious and Deirdre has gone to some trouble to make this for us. Please eat your dinner.”

Johnny’s face heated furiously and Deirdre went to speak but Gheorghe fixed her with a firm stare. Alex was his problem and he was fixing it. Alex simply nodded in deference and ate his food. 

 

The next day was spent working on the farm in the morning, with Alex helping out with jobs that didn’t get his hands dirty and making comments along the way that Johnny was biting his tongue to stop himself from snapping. Gheorghe’s easy going nature was being tested to the extreme. After the jobs were done they changed and headed into the town for a wander around. 

“It is very...” Alex looked around the local high street. “Minimalist.”

“It is enough for what we need.” Gheorghe shrugged. 

“Is it?” Alex shot back. “I remember the days you talked about travelling...seeing the world. Now you live here?”

Gheorghe set his jaw firmly. “I do. And I love it.”

Johnny shrank away from the conversation and tried to see their surroundings from the eyes of their visitor. Yes it was basic. They didn’t have a Wagamama or a Nando’s on every corner but they didn’t need one. They got by with the things they did have. Johnny didn’t know what to make of Alex and he was sure Alex didn’t know what to make of Johnny or the patch of England he lived in. 

 

That night Johnny went to bed earlier so he could get up for the farm at the crack of dawn. He left Gheorghe sitting with Alex, drinking tea and chatting about mutual friends and old times. He couldn’t lie to himself and pretend it didn’t bother him. Going to bed with Gheorghe, even when there was no mind-blowing sex on the table, was his daily routine and it felt odd lying in the bed without his man. Knowing he was so close but with a man he’d loved and lived with for a long time made him feel very uneasy. He was still awake when Gheorghe came to bed at midnight. 

“Alright love?” Johnny yawned and shuffled closer to his emotional anchor. 

“He is making me crazy.” Gheorghe growled quietly. 

Johnny would never admit to anyone that he felt a childish glee at the words. 

“One more day.” He whispered and ran his hand down Gheorghe’s side to rest on his hip. 

“One more day.” Gheorghe agreed with a sigh and snuggled into Johnny’s warm body. 

 

The last day of Alex’s visit did not start well. Gheorghe’s patience was wearing very thin and Johnny didn’t know how much longer he could keep his cool in the face of any more barbed comments. Deirdre had taken Martin out for the day with his carer so they were alone for breakfast. Alex spoke to Gheorghe and Johnny was left picking at his toast in his own little world. Gheorghe sighed loudly and cut Alex off. 

“Enough. I have asked you to speak English in John’s home. Do not make me ask again.”

Alex sneered. “My apologies. I forgot John has not yet learned our language.”

“You do not forget. You choose to ignore.”

Johnny raised his head. “It’s fine. I’m goin to see t’beasts.”

“I will help.” Gheorghe went to stand but Johnny placed his hand on his shoulder and kept him in his seat. “S’fine. I can manage.” He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to Gheorghe’s mouth and winked. “Te iubesc.”

The darker man grinned happily and watched Johnny leave. Alex regarded the scene with a look on his face that resembled someone sucking a lemon. When the latch clicked on the door he turned to his ex-boyfriend. 

“What are we to do today?” He asked Gheorghe in Romanian, who smiled tightly. 

“A trip to Bradford.”

“Bradford?”

“Yes. It is nice place. We can get lunch.”

“Just us, or will you be bringing your little puppy along too?”

Gheorghe lurched forward and glared at Alex across the table. “Do not speak that way about my partner. Not at his table. Not ever. Do you understand me?”

Alex chuckled. “It was a joke Gheorghe. You used to laugh at my jokes.”

“Perhaps. But they were not at my expense then.”

“Come. Let’s go have some fun before I leave.” Alex grinned briskly and jumped to his feet, leaving all of the breakfast dishes on the table and Gheorghe staring after him in dismay. 

 

Johnny had never seen Gheorghe properly lose his temper. The closest he’d seen was the night he left when Johnny fucked up everything for a moment of stupidity in the pub toilet. Later Johnny would come to realise that his reaction that night was more hurt than anger because when he truly lost his temper it was a sight to behold. Deirdre made lamb chops, mashed potato and mint gravy for their last supper together before Alex was due to leave the following morning. They sat at the table as she served up their meal and Alex stared at his plate indifferently. Gheorghe shot him a glare but didn’t say anything. Johnny could feel the tension prickling at his skin and he hated knowing that Gheorghe was uncomfortable. Once they started eating Alex made a remark in Romanian that sounded off-hand to those that didn’t speak the language but it made Gheorghe react furiously. How dare Alex sit there and insult Deirdre in front of her, shielded by a language barrier. He slapped his hand down on the table. 

“Speak English! I will not ask you again. Do not sit at this family’s table, eating their food and disrespecting them by talking in a language they cannot follow. It is rude to do so to your hosts!” He roared loudly. 

Everyone jumped at his loud voice and Alex bowed his head. 

“I apologise.”

“Eat your dinner.” Gheorghe snapped. 

“I am not a child Gheorghe. Do not scold me like one.” Alex scowled. 

“When you act like an adult I will treat you as such.”

Johnny placed his hand on Gheorghe’s thigh and pressed down, allowing him to focus on the weight of it and calm down. 

 

The meal was over and Deirdre was clearing away. Johnny left the men at the table while he helped his father with his nightly routine and into bed. Martin had recently taken to listening to audiobooks in bed as a source of entertainment and was currently working through the full collection of Stephen King novels, something he hadn’t read since before Johnny was born. Once he was set up Johnny headed downstairs but stopped when he heard Gheorghe and Alex talking in strained voices. 

“This isn’t _you_ , Gheorghe. You must see how much you have changed!” Alex implored. 

“I have changed. Very much so. And it is a very good thing.”

“This place...him...he can’t make you happy. Not forever. You will grow bored. Come home with me. Let’s start again...”

Gheorghe growled loudly in the quiet of the night. “Do not finish that sentence Alex. You will regret it.”

“I have to try! You’re all I have thought about since we broke up. You’re the person I want to be with. This is why I came here...to tell you I am sorry and to bring you home. To be in your own country, speaking your own language with your own family.”

Silence filled the house. Johnny sank into a heap on the bottom step and leaned his head against the wall. Alex was saying all the things that terrified him on a daily basis. Gheorghe getting bored of him, bored of the quiet farm life, and leaving him behind for a better life somewhere else. Somewhere without him. It chewed away at his sanity if he allowed it to but now he was hearing it from the mouth of the man that had once shared Gheorghe’s life and his bed. It cut him deep. 

“Alex...I don’t know what I have said or done to make you think I would ever leave here with you. That is not going to happen. I love this farm, I love Yorkshire...I love everything about this place. These people you are so quick to insult are **my** family. Do you understand what that means Alex? My _family_. I love them like I love my own parents, grandparents. More than any of those things...I am in love with John. I would not leave him for anything or anyone.”

Johnny’s next breath caught in his throat and made his chest hurt. He slowly released it and felt light-headed. Gheorghe’s words were like balm to his ragged soul. 

“You can’t be serious. You can think this life is right for you. This man...he is simple! You need more!” Alex ranted. 

Johnny didn’t have a chance to feel the pain of Alex’s words. There was a flurry of noises in the next room and he leapt to his feet to peer through the crack in the door. Gheorghe had Alex pushed up against the wall with his arm across his throat to pin him in place. His face was twisted in an expression Johnny had never seen before. Not even on that fateful night a little over a year ago. Gheorghe was whatever the next step after outraged would be. Johnny expected his next words to be loud and vicious but when he spoke his tone was so deadly calm it made him more intimidating than if he ruptured a lung yelling at Alex. 

“You speak of things to do not understand Alexandru. You speak of John like you know him. You have lived in his house for three days and you have done nothing to learn about the man I love. He is everything I want him to be. He is kind. Thoughtful. Considerate. He puts me first above all else. He respects me. He listens to me. He makes me laugh. He does not deny what I am to him. He is smarter than I could ever hope to be. He is everything I needed you to be and you were not. One day I will take him to meet my mother and she will love him like a son. I will one day marry him and spend every day thanking the highest God for bringing me here and meeting this man. We have survived our most testing times so do not think for one moment you coming here will tempt me back into your bed. I always wanted to travel when I was with you. That is correct. Now, I _never_ want to leave my home. You work out for yourself what hidden meaning that may have yes? But I will tell you this plainly now so you understand. I love everything about my life. Everything. I spent three years thinking I loved you. When I met John...well it made me realise I had never truly been in love before. Whatever rose coloured view of the past you have is not how I see it. Do you hear what I am saying Alex? We are done. I want you to pack up your bags, thank Deirdre for her hospitality and then I want you to leave. Tonight. I do not want to see you again.”

He shoved Alex as he pushed away from him and stared him down, daring him to argue. 

Alex rubbed at his throat where Gheorghe’s strong arm had pressed him into the wall. 

“I am sorry I have offended you. I will leave now.” He mumbled. 

“Thank you.” Gheorghe nodded and stepped away from Alex and out of the door into the night. When the door was closed Johnny emerged from the hallway and met Alex’s sorry gaze. 

“I’ll drive you t’station.” He said calmly. 

“You do not have to...” Alex sighed but Johnny cut him off with a wave of his hand. 

“You’re a guest here still. I picked you up so I’ll drop you off.”

 

Gheorghe was still gone when Alex left in the Jeep with Johnny after thanking Deirdre profusely. She’d been stranded in the kitchen when Gheorghe went off on his rant, and also heard every word, but she still maintained her Yorkshire values and packed Alex a ham and pickle sandwich for his journey. They drove in stony silence back to the town and pulled up outside the station. Johnny got out to retrieve Alex’s bag from the back and handed it off to the man that had caused so much psychological stress in the last few days. 

“Look after him, yes?” Alex smiled weakly. 

Johnny nodded. “Til the day I die.”

“I’m very sorry.” Alex added. 

“I know. What’s done is done.” Johnny shrugged it off like it was nothing when his heart was beating like a marching band in his chest. “Just so you know...the things he said about me...I feel the same about him...a million times over.”

Alex smiled again, sadness creeping in. “I see that now.”

“Safe travels.” Johnny held out his hand. Alex gazed at it for a second before shaking it firmly. “Goodbye John.”

 

Gheorghe let himself inside when he’d walked the full perimeter of the paddocks three times. He found Deirdre stripping down the sofa bed in the living room and leaned against the door wearily. 

“I can do that Deirdre.” 

She smiled softly at him. “I’m just about done. Put the kettle on, lad. John’ll be back from t’station soon and he’ll probably need a brew.”

Gheorghe smiled and headed to the kitchen. He made a large pot of tea and set it down on the dining table just as Johnny walked in the front door. 

“Hello love.” Johnny greeted with a smile, hoping Gheorghe was still blissfully unaware that he’d heard every word of his fall out with Alex. He didn’t want to embarrass or pressure him in any way. 

“Thank you.” Gheorghe wrapped his arms around Johnny and held him close. 

“What for?” Johnny rubbed a hand down his partner’s back. 

“Taking him to the station. Putting up with him all week...”

Johnny chuckled and pulled away from the hug so he could cup Gheorghe’s face in his large hands. He stroked his thumbs down the stubbled jawline he loved so much. 

“You must know by now, love. There int much I wouldn’t do for you.” He murmured. 

Gheorghe kissed him deeply and poured every emotion he’d been feeling for the last week into it. Johnny held him up and kissed his love back in a way that made sure he knew they were on the same page. 

“I love you so much.” Johnny pulled away slowly. 

Gheorghe’s eyes were shiny with tears but he wasn’t quite crying. “Te iubesc.”

Their moment came to an end when Deirdre padded quietly into the room with a huge smile on her face. She looked younger now somehow. Probably because she smiled more often. 

“That brew ready yet?” 

“Yes, Nan.” He answered with a twinkle in his eyes. 

“Good lad.” She winked. 

Gheorghe rubbed his face with his hands and started to laugh. He really, truly loved everything about his life. 

 

 

 

 


End file.
